THE PEACE BOAT

The ground breaking Conscious Fashion Campaign exhibition took place on July 12, 2018 at a Special Reception for the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on board the Nobel Prize nominated Peace Boat. A 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the world’s largest passenger ship sailing around the world for peace, the Peace Boat is a marvel of innovation and commitment. Yoshioka Tatsuya, Co-Founder and Director of Peace Boat began organizing peace voyages in 1983. His devotion to world peace and a sustainable future for us all has never flagged. Now in the final stages of development, the amazing Ecoship, built using cutting edge green technology, will soon be unveiled. It is the Peace Boat flagship for the Earth’s sustainable future and a breathtaking wonder of ingenuity.

Founded by Kerry Bannigan and supported by the United Nations Office for Partnerships the Conscious Fashion Campaign unites impact driven fashion brands addressing the most pressing issues facing our world today. The initiative celebrates the innovators actively engaged in conscious fashion as instrumental champions for worldwide good towards our sustainable future.

Meet the exhibitors who attended this incredible event and learn their stories…

Trade by Gina La Morte: Author, celebrity fashion stylist turned fashion activist, Gina La Morte made a life changing decision to become a handbag designer dedicated to ”trading fashion for freedom.” “We support non-profit missions of setting women and children free from anything that enslaves them; including human trafficking, abuse and violence. All of our labor is fair trade, made in the USA, right here in NYC. We work with fabrics that are recycled and repurposed which is a key way to keep fashion sustainable.” Couture apparel and magnificent handbags are designed by the impassioned La Morte, who, with an expert team of skilled craftswomen, produce exceptional garments that one can feel empowered to wear while celebrating the hand of the artisan.

We celebrate the growing number of talented fashion and accessory designers who bravely strive to make a difference in our lives and the welfare of our planet imparting their energy, ingenuity and remarkable design innovations for the benefit of this one world we share.

Sarah Beydoun: Sarah’s Bag: Working with underprivileged woman artisans. Sarah’s Bag is a Lebanese fashion house and social enterprise that creates one-of-a-kind luxury hand crafted bags and accessories that empower both the women who make them and the women who wear them. In 2016, the Oslo-based Business for Peace Foundation awarded Sarah its annual prize in recognition of her work as a global business leader who is positively changing the face of business. These beaded and embroidered bags are certain conversation starters. Choose the one that speaks your mind and touches your heart.

Aurora James: Brother Vellies. African styled footwear and accessories crafted entirely through a model of sustainability, feature extraordinary goat fur sandals that will be the envy of all your friends, sophisticated fashion footwear, (their White Lace Lali boots are especially swoon-worthy), fur handbags that you’ll want to take home in every colorway and perhaps name. A fabulous resource for the fashion savvy.

Veja: Leather and metallic sneakers in classic designs and every color of the rainbow. The sport of fashionable sneaker-wear is a serious business. Offering both leather and vegan options, Veja styles their manufacturing operation on crafting sneakers that treat humans with respect, are produced in dignified conditions, in direct consultation with producer associations and manufacturers dedicated to the practice of Fair trade.

Mara Hoffman: An award winning Parsons graduate. Swimwear and RTW by Mara Hoffman are works of art; animation and energy seemingly painted across the fabric with a broad brush of creativity and exuberance. Dedicated to the design and manufacture of clothes with greater care to the planet, reduced impact as well as generating awareness of conscious fashion. When sourcing for materials, the company prioritizes natural, recycled and renewable components. 100% of their dazzling swimwear collection is produced using recycled nylon or recycled polyester. With this dynamic attitude, wearing these pieces transform your perspective. In a Mara Hoffman ensemble, it’s always a sunny day.

Studio One Eighty Nine : Is the recipient of numerous fashion and humanitarian awards. The brand crafts African inspired apparel with a mission; to use fashion as an agent for social change, turning challenges on the ground into opportunities. They are partners with the United Nations ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, as well as numerous other partnerships for social good. Their exquisite designs and outstanding silhouettes would make any fashionista rejoice.

Rachel Allan, Fashion for Conservation: "We at Rachel Allan support Elephantasia because we want to help bring awareness to the many issues surrounding and effecting elephants, such as being poached for their ivory tusks or losing large amounts of their habitats due to human expansion.” Crafting awareness through designing ethereal evening and day wear, the Fashion for Conservation members give of themselves and in doing so, make the world a better, (and more elegant) place.

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds: Inspired by the beauty of moss, the Voyageuse collection combines peridot, vesuviante, tourmaline and other exotic stones to create richly textured, verging on deliciously decadent, works of art. With one-of-a-kind gems as the focus, recycled 18k yellow gold and sterling silver highlight the individuality of each stone. Going “green” never looked so much like royal regalia until now. An interesting twist when natural, raw stones can look more refined than the most costly fancy-cut diamonds.

Founded in New York by dedicated world travelers Yenifer Lam and Vicky Cohen, El Voyage works with over 150 artisan weavers in Guatemala to craft stunning scarves and accessories that will surely add panache to any wardrobe. Wrap an artfully created hand woven scarf gracefully around your shoulders when there’s a nip in the air; tie a striking black and white bow in a reinterpretation of the new Dandy. El Voyage empowers small, local producers to truly complete in the global marketplace.

Barefoot in Business: Uganda bags launching in Fall 2018. Barefoot in Business is a unique online marketplace where female entrepreneurs from across Uganda can sell their products and access the necessary training, mentoring and investment to bring their noble ambitions to life. Filmmaker Carol Cooke, is the owner and founder of BAFTA-winning Scrumptious Productions. When Carol set off to Uganda to make a documentary she found a growing band of female entrepreneurs who defy all stereotypes and are planning to take the world by storm. Their joyful traditional and modernized fabrics and totes are a celebration of their spirit of ingenuity and determination.

Aranyani: Sumptuous custom painted handbags. The extravagant splendor of these hand painted bags, for both men and women is breathtaking. “We believe in creating high quality sustainable products that connects man to nature through its stories and design.” Each Aranyani item is handcrafted to be one-of-a-kind. As every handbag is a work of art, painted by skilled artisans, these opulent leather bags exemplify the true meaning of bespoke.

Céline Semaan: Co-curator of the Conscious Fashion Campaign exhibition at the Peace Boat is Director of The Library Sustainable Fashion Archive. A stunningly rich and bold graphic by Celine of the extinct Carolina parakeet transforms a silk scarf into a celebration of the beauty that we’ve lost, as well as a cry to respect the endangered wildlife that begs for our attention. A glorious result of her collaboration with MIT Media Lab, Céline recycles bees that did not survive the winter and produces magnificent gold jewelry, focusing awareness on the alarming decline of bees necessary to pollinate the world’s crops.